Donegal has the most gender-imbalanced council in Ireland

Donegal has the least female representation out of the country's 31 local authorities, with women accounting for three of the 37 councillors elected.

A sharp comparison between Donegal County Council and the South Dublin County Council, which comes the closest to gender parity at a local government level, with 19 of the 40 female councillors elected, 47.5%.

However, in Donegal, just 8.1% of the newly elected officials were female, on a council that will sit for the next five years. 

Despite 19 female candidates running in the five municipal districts (MD), they are only represented in the Inishowen MD, Lifford-Stranorlar MD and the Donegal MD. This leaves the Glenties and Letterkenny/Milford municipal districts with no female representation.

Out of the sitting councillors, the first woman to surpass the quota was Joy Beard (100% Redress Party), who was elected on the first count in the Buncrana LEA with 1,587 votes, with the quota at 1,510.

Dakota Nic Mheanman (Sinn Féin) was elected on the eighth count in Lifford-Stranorlar with 1,357 votes, where the quota was 1,629. Niamh Kennedy (Independent) managed to retain her seat in Donegal with 2,067 votes, surpassing the quota of 1,985.  

Two out of the three newly elected councillors are newcomers with Beard and NicMheanamin taking seats for the first time. In the last local elections in 2019, there were four female councillors elected: Noreen McGarvey (Fianna Fáil); Marie-Therase Gallagher (Sinn Féin);  Kennedy and Rena Donaghey (Fianna Fáil). 

Noreen McGarvey passed away in December 2023 following an illness. Gallagher stepped away in February, and Donaghey opted to not seek re-election, bowing out after 30 years in local politics.

Susan McGonagle became the first woman to be elected in Donegal in 1979. Before last week’s elections, 12 women served as councillors on Donegal County Council.